Going Through Doctor Who (Spoilers all Eps aired on BBC/BBCA)

[cosmichobo]

I hope nobody hates me now.

Just putting the shells in the shotgun now, rushy...

Tried YouTube? They saw fit to ban half my fan vids, yet I see you can still find complete stories up there...

[rushy]

Just putting the shells in the shotgun now, rushy...

Tried YouTube? They saw fit to ban half my fan vids, yet I see you can still find complete stories up there...

Trust me, YouTube is a no man's land where complete stories are concerned.

[rushy]

*grumble* Writing this review for the second time *grumble*
Anyway, The Gunfighters marks a return to comedy for Doctor Who. Unlike the silliness of the past two stories, it presents real humour, though it's nowhere near as great as The Romans, for example.

After the TARDIS crew arrives in Tombstone, Dodo runs off with a shady dentist, Steven reveals his macho singing abilities and the Doctor renames himself the Deputy Sheriff(literally).

William Hartnell is great fun, trying to tell heroes and villains alike that he's a pacifist as they keep smuggling revolvers into his pocket. I loved that he actually tried to do his job instead of taking it as a joke like all his other selves(except maybe Eighth) would have done.

Dodo is fine most of the time, but she seems totally out of reality at times. When she protested "But I started to like it!" after playing the piano at gunpoint, she deserved a smack.

Steven displays the skill we've come to expect from Peter Purves. He's a little sidelined this time, but there's a large cast anyway so no harm done. His highlight was nearly getting lynched by the crowd. In children's television, of course. I wish M. Whitehouse would've seen that. Hilarious, isn't it? It's a big shame Steven is leaving in the next story, he's such a strong character by now and has been the show's support since Vicki left.

And with him gone, the show's last tie to its' original cast will be gone... well, second-to-last, but we all know what's coming...

The story was accompanied by a recurring ballad. It was great in the first two episodes, but in the later ones, they really overused it. It came in after like, every other scene. Still, it provided a lot of atmosphere and never took you out of the story. A plus.

Of the guest characters, the funniest by far was Doc Holiday. He looked and sounded like the biggest liar and thief ya ever saw, but in the end, proved himself to be a more Robin Hood kinda figure.

So overall, The Gunfighters has great set design and costuming, mostly decent acting, brilliant writing, great camera work, flawed, but awesome gunfight and never tried to take itself seriously(*cough* A Town Called Mercy *cough*)

It's simply a story where you turn your brain off and enjoy the ride.

Next time: Dr. Who And The Savages.
Oh boy, is Hartnell gonna meet Cushing?!

*tips hat*

[rushy]

For a typical Hartnell story(two sides, one good and one evil) not presented very uniquely, this story is quite exemplary. Especially in its' latter half, The Savages boasts great acting from the guest stars, a choking departure for Steven(the nearest I've come to crying in Doctor Who) and an all-around decent story.

William Hartnell is really good here and has a magnificient speech against prejudice. His outrage is presented very naturally and I'm very impressed with his performance. I'm not all too keen why the Doctor would suddenly want to ditch Steven(he isn't very happy when people leave him), but altogether, he's holding on remarkably well for someone whose mental and physical health was deteriorating. People say his sickness caused him to forget lines, but rather ironically, he hasn't fluffed a lot at all since Season 1.

Steven is once again the hero of the story, doing all the gunfights and the running while the Doctor gets knocked out again. His departure was a little contrived(no other messed up alien race has needed a mediator in Doctor Who thus far), but I feel he got the finale he deserved. When we first met Steven, he was stranded on Mechanus and was a bit naive. Now, he's gotten stranded again and has developed patience, intelligence and a strong sense of morality. I praised Sir Ian a lot in my previous reviews, but I must admit, Steven is the most developed 60s companion. Even if he never said anything about his past(he was an astronaut... why didn't he ever want to go back?).
Farewell Peter Purves. You da man.

Dodo is peculiarly quiet this whole story. Besides uncovering the plot of the Elders, she just sort of... tags along. I can't really say much about her and she's already leaving in the next story. Hi, bye. You were cute.

As I said earlier, the guest stars who played Jano and Chal were very good. Chal comes across as very wise and intelligent, and also incredibly patient. His trust in the TARDIS crew is admirable. A brilliant performance.
Same can be said about Jano, who at first is without moral, but otherwise a decent chap and later gets imbued with the Doctor's intelligence(I thought it slightly odd that the Doctor would leave the Time Lord knowledge in him... maybe it wears off.)

The story involves the TARDIS landing on an Earth colony(at least I presume it is... it's never really mentioned) where the humans(who conveniently all live in one city) use the life force of savages to fuel their own brains and power. No need for food or water, just POWAAAHHHH!!! Okay, bad joke.

I would've liked to have heard a backstory for the planet and the conflict between the Elders and the savages and the development of the laboratory, but oh well. It was still interesting.

The music is somewhat different in this story, giving it a bit of a Hammer Horror feel(you know that bit of music that everyone associates with Dracula? It sounds kinda like that.)

This is notably the very first Doctor Who story where the Doctor has a chance to leave, but chooses to stay behind and help whoever's in trouble. No more TARDIS separation, I suppose.

And speaking of the TARDIS, has anyone else noticed that way back in An Unearthly Child, the console was flashing with lights and felt alive, whereas now it's pretty static.

At one point in the story when Steven believes that they've arrived in the Stone Age, the Doctor(who is far away from them) mutters: "That young man. He thought I'd made a mistake." How did he knew?

The story is quite atmospheric. At one point, the characters hide in deep caves, with echoes and all and it look really fantastic. I applaud the set design. I also liked the laboratory and the bubbling tanks. I must also applaud Loose Canon for the details(burning torches and smoke). Brilliant stuff.

Overall, the story is inconsequential(unless you're a Steven fan). A very average Hartnell story.

Soon to come: The War Machines.
The First Doctor in contemporary London? And there's an invasion?! I've got high expectations for this...

[rushy]

As Season 3 comes to the close, the Doctor and Dodo end up in a Jon Pertwee story(The War Machines)... oh, dear, dear, dear, dear... this season has been as stable as an Omega molecule from Star Trek!

Anyway, they arrive, by chance, in 1960s London(fate mocks Sir Ian and Barbara) where some people have invented WOTAN, a supercomputer that can tell the square roots of numbers! OMG!
WOTAN is supposedly able to think for itself, without any political overtures. As such, it quickly makes the decision that humans are incapable of further evolution(he has a point: humans still look the same at the end of the universe) and he's taking charge straight away.
In a scene that paradoxically seems like a parody of all the mad computer cliches, WOTAN hypnotises a scientist who's like "Oh, you're taking over? We humans all bad? And if we resist, you're totally gonna kill us, huh?". It's great.

WOTAN also somehow knows about the TARDIS. Now, I'd let it go because the Doctor gets around and he easily might've acquired that knowledge some way, but back in 1966, before the Doctor(outside the show) had been there for every star's birth and death, how was the computer supposed to know?

The Doctor and Dodo easily blend into the upper class despite it being only the Doctor's second proper trip to the 60s. What, did he not only leave the Hand Of Omega behind, but also the means to get around in case something happened there? Again, how was this supposed to work in 1966 Who?

Dodo gets hypnotized(without any explanation as to how) and is tasked by WOTAN to bring the Doctor back, Hartnell or Cushing. Of course, she fails and gets de-hypnotized and sent away to recuperate.
Meanwhile, the Doctor works together with UNI- I mean, the army to stop WOTAN's War Machines(which look great when they're not moving).

After the threat is stopped, the Doctor sets to leave and gets a message from two completely inconsequential characters whose only useful contribution to the story was telling the Doctor where the first Machine was. Oh yeah, and the message is as follows: "Hi, Doc! Been playing cricket! You and your TARDIS can sod off. Love, Dodo."

NOTES

*The direction is appalling at times. The battle scenes are basically just close-ups of the War Machines using their giant hammers and steam guns(I so hoped I'd never see those again).

*WOTAN has very little to do in the latter half of the story. After he's got his people hypnotized, the War Machines take over. I personally would've scrapped the Machines altogether and focused the story on WOTAN and his hypnotic followers who try to reshape the Earth civilization.

*As The Smugglers is missing and he's got very little to do in The Tenth Planet, this is basically Hartnell's final hurrah. In a twist of fate, it's also the only story besides his first and last where his full costume appears.

*London looks just as great as in The Dalek Invasion Of Earth. I love the on-location shooting. Also, it's just brilliant to have Hartnell wandering around night clubs and calling for taxis and stuff.

*Why do they kill the rather healthy-looking beggar, but instead give a speech to Ben? And why do they not hypnotise him when they employ him to work?

*How can Polly resist the hypnosis, but not Dodo and the rather ethical scientist?

*The explanation for how the first War Machine is disabled is that it was inadequately programmed for its' tasks. Err, programming isn't fuel. When a computer is halfway programmed, it doesn't just stop, it tries to fulfill whatever halfway orders it was given, in this case, killing the soldiers. It could've been a glitch or something.

*I love how a War Machine breaks free from WOTAN's control and goes amok. It's hilarious if you think about it.

*The Doctor mentions that he added a new set of programming for a War Machine. I love the idea of the Doctor writing code, subroutines etc.

CONCLUSION

Overall, The War Machines is a rather entertaining and unusual story for the Hartnell era. I'm looking forward to having Ben and Polly as companions(especially Polly).

NEXT TIME: The Smugglers.
Are there Sirens in this one?

[rushy]

I hope you don't mind another change in plan... I've got to stop announcing what I'm reviewing next.
Anyways, The Light At The End is a mixed bag for me. Whilst it's obvious fun to have the eight Doctors + the Master around, the story just doesn't seem to go anywhere. Other than the temporal paradoxes, all it really is is: "The Master sets a trap to wipe the Doctors from history. They walk into it, reverse it and all go home."

Most of the Doctors are stellar, just the way they were in the main series. Kudos must go to Tom Baker, who finally made himself likable in my eyes. The weakest of the original actors is Colin Baker, whose gravitas and strong voice have entirely mellowed out.

Troughton and Pertwee's sons do a bang-on job at imitating their parents. They're not spot-on identical, but close enough. On the other hand, William Russell has absolutely no business playing the First Doctor. He doesn't sound anything like Hartnell.

I liked Geoffrey Beevers as the Master. He was certainly very different from the ones we know better, but he was brilliant. One could almost imagine him drinking a cup of tea whilst plotting the downfall of his enemies. A sneaky little imp.

NOTES

*Did the Doctors really consider wiping the Master from history? Sounds unrealistic to me.

*Like her Doctor, Peri isn't very believable. Her whining voice was bad enough to begin with, but now it's just laughable.

*I thought the team-up of 4 and 8 was pretty cool.

*This takes place before Survival for the Seventh Doctor and Ace, as she doesn't recognize the Master.

*Speaking of the two, McCoy and Aldred did the best job recreating their original performances and chemistry.

*Will Paul McGann ever get a cool companion?

*Why keep the first three Doctors locked away when they already use their voices in other audio dramas?

*Hey, it's Straxus from Dark Eyes! This incarnation is pretty pathetic though.

*This story is very hard to follow or remember. Nothing really happens except the Doctors wandering around in the pocket universe and occasionally running into the Master. And loads of random explosions and teleportations to other scenes. There's a very disjointed feel to the whole thing.

*No one complained about Peri's clothes(Season 22) or the Doctor's chubbiness(Season 23)?

*Could someone explain to me how the whole "garden" and "1963 lets you into the pocket universe" thing worked? And what was up with the living mud and all that stuff? It was so random.

*Why were the drones working with the Master?

*Wait, so the Doctor would never have left Gallifrey if the right TARDIS hadn't been there? The Impossible who?

*The Fourth Doctor got all the great lines. "Is this some Doctors' afterlife?"

*So how come this evil plan didn't affect the War/Ninth-? Doctors? I know Big Finish has no right to them, but this thing is supposed to wipe out ALL the Doctors. Imagine if we could see the future Doctors in the classic series timeline where the Time War didn't happen.

*When the Seventh Doctor ushers the Sixth Doctor to hide, he refers to him as "Doctors".

CONCLUSION

A rather dull celebration. Only for the biggest multi-Doctor story or Master fans. Moffat did so much better.

NEXT TIME: Well... we'll see then, won't we?

[rushy]

P.S. Just found out that Frazer Hines and some other guy did the voices of the Second and Third Doctors, respectively. Well, they were both really good.

[cosmichobo]

Yes, Fraser does a great 2... (enjoyed his impersonation in.. the one with the shadows that felt very Vashto Nerada-ish...)

[rushy]

The Vashta Nerada suuure get a lot of hype for a one-off threat... I'm surprised Moffat hasn't brought them back as well.

[rushy]

I've lately been itching to do a Doctor Who Top 10 something. Problem is, I haven't properly seen most of the classic Doctors, Dalek stories, Cyberman stories, regeneration stories etc.

But there is one thing I have surely seen all of... Christmas episodes. So while I plod on through the worst recons I've ever seen(The Smugglers), I'm gonna have a little fun time.

10. The Feast Of Steven - I'm pretty sure that's every Christmas special now(this was supposed to be a best list, but there are less specials than I expected). Anyway, this one got everything wrong. While no. 9 was still a watchable story, this was downright bad. From the random environmental message to the First Doctor suddenly declaring who he is to the public to the dumb police to that... god-awful movie set filled with idiots.

9. The Doctor, The Widow And The Wardrobe - Erm, nice Narnia and Androzani references? Okay seriously, this was just a boring affair with no real threat or resolution or story. Nothing happened.

8. The Runaway Bride - This was Donna at her silliest, but the moment where the Tenth Doctor stares down the Racnoss was really good. It proved to the audience that Eccleston's fury was very much still a part of the character.

7. The Christmas Invasion - Like with no. 3, there's loads of build-up with a super pay-off. It also serves as a perfect metaphor for the David Tennant era. Most of it is boring Earth stuff and then you get some unforgettable parts that almost seem to have come from heaven itself.

6. Voyage Of The Damned - I'm a bit lukewarm to the whole survival movie thing and kind of confused by the Titanic(why does everyone look and act identical to humans?), but the story feels like a real, solid adventure with some David Tennant Gems™ thrown in(I'm talking about the angels lifting him...)

5. The End Of Time, Part One - While the RTD specials focus more on their story than the holiday itself, I thought this one really got the whole "end" thing spot-on. When the Master(hell yeah by default!) hit that barrel, it was like a countdown. And who doesn't love the John Simm Army? The conversations between Wilf and 10th were also very stimulating(and make me wish we had more old people in the TARDIS).

4. The Snowmen - While the ice governess was a bit too much, I loved the idea of bringing the Great Intelligence into Christmas. Richard E. Grant was the perfect Scrooge in this case(now there's an idea...) and of course, credit must also go to the new console room. Not to mention the Doctor's very stylish idea of retirement(living on the clouds...).

3. The Time Of The Doctor - Although somewhat clunky, this story makes the wait count(like all Christmas nights when you just can't WAIT for it to come) and gives us brilliant scenes at the clock tower, not to mention the fiery regeneration itself. Matt Smith's final scenes were beautiful(minus the tacky speech) and overall, it was a heck of a romp. A classic, surely. Oh yeah, and Handles is in it.

2. The Next Doctor - The Victorian era gives it the somber, dark and yet so undeniably Christmas feel these specials deserve for the occasion. The moment when Lake gets his memories back and the clock hits twelve is genius. Plus, it's got the added bonuses of being both a multi-Doctor and a Cyberman story. I love it.

1. A Christmas Carol - Yes, without a doubt this is the most Christmassy story ever made and one of Moffat's greatest successes. Of course it's based on the best Christmas novel ever, but that's not really what made this story tick. What made it tick was the atmosphere. The alien combined with the Victorian was beautiful, the brightly lit Star Trek-esque bridge was a lovely little tie-in and the Doctor himself was at his best. Christmas is really the Eleventh Doctor's home, ain't it? But I've saved the best for last: the singing. I mean seriously, if you don't feel your eyes moistening up at "Silent Night, Holy Night", you're a Cyberman.

Now I wish the 11th's last story was called The Night Of The Doctor and it featured that song...

[rushy]

The Smugglers is a pretty dull affair. Leaving aside the hideous recons(basically blurry images and vague dialogue), the story's nothing but people discussing things and occasionally doing something small-ish. It does pick up at the end with a sword-fight and a battle, but that's not enough to make up for... well, nothing really. While the concept is great actually(Pirates and smugglers team up to find a treasure and the TARDIS crew get mixed up in their little politics), it doesn't answer for what was presented on-screen. Pirates Of The Caribbean it ain't.

To give him credit, Hartnell was on fine form as ever and hardly looked ill. He also had a sizeable chunk of the story and got to manipulate Captain Pike(i.e. Hook) into letting him live, which was darn impressive.

I'm positive towards the new companions. Ben is likable enough and Polly is very attractive and rather funny(on the other hand, the horror of RATS returns...)

The guest stars are also very good. There's the guy who played Tlotoxl(though he gets underused for most of the story), then there's the fat Squire who works with the baddies, but surprisingly turns out to have a conscience after all. The pirates themselves are cool too. Pike/Hook is a generic captain, but we haven't had one on Doctor Who so far so, yeah. I thought Cherub(I'd love to know the thought process behind that name) and Jamaica were both memorable. As far as characters go, it was really good.

NOTES

*The very first "Polly, put a kettle on" was in this story.

*My favourite Hartnell fluff: "Do you see that scanner up there? That's what I call a scanner!"

*How on earth do they mistake Polly for a lad?

*In at least two instances, the Doctor loudly talks in echo-filled caves and the pirates don't overhear him even though they're only a few steps away.

*The Doctor and his companions separately escape, both using remarkably contrived devices to convince their guards to let them go.

*A few seconds of the recon was in color. I'd like to know more about that.

*I know the Doctor is a good guy now, but why does he think himself responsible if Pike burns down the village?

*Out of the three sword duels in the Hartnell era, two are in reconstruction. So annoying.

*When they arrive in the Antarctic, why is it cold inside the TARDIS?

*Shouldn't this story be called "The Pirates"?

CONCLUSION

Like with Galaxy 4, the worst crime is that it's a recon. While the implications are awesome(pirates being pirates, outdoor shooting, sword fights and battles, a puzzle to solve, realistic characters), it's all let down by not being able to see and barely able to hear anything that's happening. As a result, it just comes down to people muttering in studio sets.

SOMETIME SOON: The Tenth Planet... on DVD!

[rushy]

The Tenth Planet is a very big story. Leaving aside the obvious regeneration and Cybermen intros, there's the new planet showing up, the threat of a giant nuclear weapon, the astronauts lost in space... unlike most other stories, there's a feel of reality here, like the Doctor and his foes have actually materialized out from the show and are waging war on our own world. I must compliment this story for that powerful feel, especially since it has dated so much in details.

However, I must equally criticise it for a lack of interest in the main characters and too much focus on the astronauts' plight. At times, it's like watching Apollo 13. On a BBC budget. In black and white. In 1966. I know it was meant to be realistic(that's what made it good), but it becomes tedious after a short while. Besides the astronauts, there's a big focus on General Cutler, a man so incapable of properly dealing with an emergency that it's a wonder he even got the job. On the other hand, I rather liked Barclay, the scientist. What a nice guy. The point is, I'd much rather watch our heroes argue with them, not them arguing amongst themselves and occasionally going to the backroom to exchange a few words with the Doctor.

William Hartnell has relatively little to do in his swansong, but he does have several memorable moments here and there. When Beatty(Cutler) does the ad-lib "I don't like your face. Nor your hair!", just look at his face. It's hilarious. His confrontation with the Cybermen: "Emotions! Love, pride, hate, fear!" is definitely one of his finest moments. And good lord, the regeneration... Hartnell couldn't have done it better. That look of fear and resignation on his face says everything.

Ben and Polly are quickly becoming rather forgettable, which is a shame, considering that they were pretty good in The War Machines. But here, Polly is again relegated to putting the kettle on(first time it was funny, but here it's pathetic) and Ben has to try and support the crew's side of the plot without his strong suit: his interaction with Polly. Without her, he's almost like an extra. I miss Steven.

The Cybermen were great. I loved the sing-song voices(though it got old around Episode 4) and the fact that they weren't evil or computer-ish at all. They were just like us... just really, really logical. Best example: "If you wish to communicate with them(the astronauts), I have no objection." They were much like Data from Star Trek in the sense that they couldn't be annoyed or deterred in any way.

And finally, the regeneration scene itself. I loved the way the TARDIS operated by herself. Besides being a little creepy, it was actually heartwarming to see the old girl take care of the Doctor like that. Think of that sentence and watch that scene again, will you? The regeneration effect was brilliant(they could've toned down the light juuust a little, but it was brilliant). I am thoroughly satisfied.

NOTES

*Possibly the last Hartnell fluff: "Speak up, will you? I'm deaf."

*I usually don't mind the racism in early Who, but the Italian guy was really distracting.

*I don't know what's worse: the overacting of General Cutler or the blandness of Lieutenant Cutler.

*So this is the Base Under Siege, huh? I hope they're more engrossing and less focused on the guest stars in the future.

*The direction is really fantastic here. The archive footage blends with the real one seamlessly and the Cybermen are given every chance to be creepy. The regeneration scene was perfect. Kudos goes to Derek Martinus.

*I liked that Ben didn't immediately heal from the fall.

*The theme song when the Cybermen first show up is really cool.

*Krang is the original Cyberleader: he comes back from the dead.

*The whole energy-sucking plan was awfully risky(and didn't pay off). What would the Cybermen have done if there was no Z-Bomb handy?

*How does the twin planet thing work?

*So a planet hit with a nuclear bomb can turn into a sun? You learn something new every day.

*This story draaaags a loooot.

CONCLUSION

Where the Cybermen and the regeneration are concerned, The Tenth Planet is nothing short of brilliant. The actual thing is better taken one episode at a time and with a friend. It's really technobabble-ish and not in the good "metaphasic shielding" kind of way.

[rushy]

*William Hartnell - The First Doctor

*Doc-meter: Starting out as a mostly typical, holier-than-thou Time Lord, the Doctor quickly developed compassion and later genuine friendship. He grew to love his companions and his sharp remarks became teasing. An enthusiastic man and a hero. However, he always retained caution(something that the latest versions sorely lack), both in his head and outside. The Doctor always checked the scanner and he never, ever let the power of space and time get the better of his moral center.

*Favourite Story: The Dalek Invasion Of Earth(dated, but definitely his highlight)

*Favourite Companion: Sir Ian Chesterton, Knight of Jaffa.

*Favourite Enemy: The Meddler.

*Screwdriver: N/A. He does have a special ring that acts as pretty much the same thing though.

*Costume: Elegant, but practical. The slightly historical tinge is matched by his own alien nature. Perfect.

*Worst Story: Galaxy Four.

*Worst Companion: Ben Jackson.

*Worst Enemy: The Voord.

*Note: The First Doctor also appeared in the 20th anniversary special The Five Doctors, but was played by Richard Hurndall. His interpretation of the character was more sarcastic and stable(in terms of behavior) than Hartnell's, but retained the wisdom and edge that made the First Doctor so memorable. I thought it was a rather clever performance.

Overall era: Highly experimental at times, the William Hartnell times were rather shifty. However, this variety only served to draw in a bigger audience and prove that Doctor Who can tackle anything it chooses(not succeed, but tackle). I loved it. Season 1 was by far the weakest. The little sets and the chaotic acting made it a rather claustrophobic affair. Season 2 was my favourite. It didn't go as far with the experimentation as Season 3 and maintained constant quality(hey, The Web Planet WAS cool). The Doctor was accompanied by his best companions and it was just the most fun.

Now there is just one more elephant in the room I must take on before I fully give myself to the Patrick Troughton era. Many things have been said about William Hartnell's flaws and vices both on-screen and off-screen, on video and in writing. My opinion of him hasn't been fazed by a single word.
The recently found interview of him allegedly upset a lot of people. Why? It might be that I myself am trying out acting, but his point of view about pantomime doesn't seem that hard to understand. Hartnell was always a prideful person who refused to let himself be seen as weak. Pantomime to him was people dancing around and making kids laugh. Not really something that he as a "character actor of the theatre" would find notable.

Then there's the talk about the racism. Doctor Who fans, have you seen Remembrance Of The Daleks or The Celestial Toymaker? Racism wasn't condemned back in the 60s. Sure, frowned upon, but not condemned. Hartnell grew up in an atmosphere that didn't care about such things. After all, isn't a man a sum of his memories?
For all this talk of what an irritable and hateful and a cheating man he was... well, I've read from an interview with his wife that he once had a pure gold TARDIS necklace made specially for her. I've seen a photograph of him relishing his grandchild. I've heard of him, absolutely needing to be the Doctor for five years because that's how long he said the series had the potential to last and his devastation when faced with cold reality that he couldn't. In a commentary, Carole Ann Ford gave a story of him trying to order her around and stopping her from drinking champagne and later honestly apologizing and bringing her a bottle for free.
And of course, the time when he came out of a car and was surrounded by all his young fans...

My point is that William Hartnell was a deeply flawed man, but he was a good man and that's all that matters now.

[cosmichobo]

I always thought Mondas was somehow meant to have been mirrored "through" the sun, somehow... though I'm not sure if I read that in a Target novel, in David Banks' book, or just made it up for my own fanfic...

[rushy]

The Power Of The Daleks boasts one of the best uses of the Daleks in Doctor Who history. As with most six-parters, it's a bit overlong, but that doesn't dampen the effectiveness of what happens.

The TARDIS lands on the planet Vulcan(someone check to see who did it first; both happened in 1966 anyway) where a human colony has just uncovered a capsule containing Daleks in stasis. The somewhat mindfrelled Doctor shows up and infilitrates the colony in the hopes of preventing the Daleks from exterminating everyone. The brilliant twist is that everyone believes the Daleks are their ser-VANTS!

Patrick Troughton is thoroughly refreshing as the Second Doctor with his younger spirit and wit. Unfortunately, he's still working out just how he's playing the character and as a result, mumbles quite a lot. I like the recorder.

Ben and Polly don't do much in the story besides get kidnapped(it's another one of those where the main crew just sit and watch). And alternatively take vacations.

It might be because it's a recon, but the number of guest stars is rather disorienting. The only memorable ones are Lesterson, who is a little OTT, but whose mental breakdown is genius. Then there's Braggen, the bad guy who looks like Peter Cushing(even in photo, he looks good). Janley, who's a lesser bad... erm, girl(someone help)? And finally, the governor who's name I've forgotten. All the others are just empty names.

Anyways, things worsen as the colony's leadership falls apart with Braggen's takeover and subsequent betrayal of the rebels and then the attacking Daleks... in the end, it's nothing but a bloodbath.

NOTES

*So if it was the Doctor's plan to overload the Daleks, what was the point of denying it? And if it wasn't his plan, why order all those guards to their death?

*The cliffhanger to Episode 2, where the Doctor's speech of how evil the Daleks are is constantly interrupted with their screams of: "I AM YOUR SER-VANT!" is brilliant.

*I loved the symbolism of the First Doctor's ring accidentally being dropped.

*Why does the Second Doctor refer to his previous self as "the Doctor" rather than "I"?

*How easy would it have been to make some lie up to justify ordering the Daleks to be melted down? The Doctor didn't have a chance just shouting: "But they're evil!" Then again, I can count it on renewal trauma. Just.

*Why do the Daleks still work with the rebels(and let the Doctor escape) after declaring that now they're going out to slaughter the lot?

*When exactly did the First Doctor tell Ben and Polly about the Daleks in detail? Polly even knew they hated all other races.

*The Doctor heavily implies that his renewal is entirely the TARDIS's doing and that she acts as a sort of Fountain Of Youth, keeping him alive.

*The Doctor wears elf shoes. Lol.

*Why didn't the guards just lock Polly up instead of taking her to the Dalek capsule?

*How did the Doctor get the Dalek key or whatever it was to unlock the secret compartment in the capsule?

*Random references to past episodes begins with this story, with a mention of the Doctor's visit to China to meet Marco Polo.

*Also, the very first "EXTERMINATE!" fest.

CONCLUSION

An impressive Dalek story coupled with our new Doctor a good viewing makes.

Coming soon: Doctor Who And The Highlanders.
Jamiejamiejamiejamie!! Did I mention I'm a fan of Jamie?